Illuminated escutcheon for electrical outlets



Sept. 30, 1.947. w. c. LlN'roN ILLUMINATED ESCUTCHEON FOR ELECTRGALOUTLETS'.

Filed April so, 19216 Patented Sept. 30, 1947 2,428,167 A iLLiJivnNa'rEnEscufrcnson Foa "ELECTRIICAL on'rLE'rs WilliarniC. Linton, Washington,D. C., assigner to Fuse Indicator Corporation, Rockville, MdL.;

a corporation ofADelaware Appiicatanapni so, 1946, serial No. cesen.;

illuminated switch `plate in which the lamp thereof is entirely oradequately sealed off from the electrical connections of a switch towhich lt is applied.

A further object of the invention is to provide a detachable lens forhousing .the lamp ofyilluminated plastic switch plateswhereby the lensmay be ofthes'am'e color o'rofdifferent colors than the plate and alen'swhich isattachable to a; switch plate without the aidof separablefastening elements thereby making it possible to more quickly assemblethe switch plate and yet greatly reduce the cost of manufacture.

Other objects oi the invention will be in part obvious and in partpointed out hereinafter.

In order that the invention and its mode of operation may be readilyunderstood I have in the accompanying drawings set out an embodiment ofthe same.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the complete switch plate.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the same with the lens thereof inside elevation.

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the same.

Fig. 4 is a detail front elevation of the plate with the lens removed.

Fig. 5 is a detail vertical sectional view with the lamp removed takenon the line 5 5 of Fig. 4 in the direction of the arrow points.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 2in the direction of the arrow points.

Fig. '7 is an enlarged sectional view showing the connection between thelens and plate.

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the lens.

Fig. 9 is an end elevation of the lens and Fig. l0 is a cross sectionalView of a slightly modied form of lens.

The switch plate I is molded from plastic materials having a suitabledesign upon the outer face and reinforcing ribs upon the rear facethereof which are molded therewith. This plate has the usual openingstherein one of which 2 1 clama (c1. atea-2) V receives the knob oftheswitch and theothers' 3 are for receiving the"screws .for attaching theplate to a conventional cut-out box.

Arranged upon theV outer iaceoi a shell or lens 4 which houses aminiature neonglow lamp 5. VThis lamp has one terminal thereof connectedto a leak resistor't and theother.

terminal thereofconnected vto a lead: wire l. A lead wire 8 is connectedto the opposite terminal oi theleak resistor and bothlead wires .l and 8extend throughopenings S Vformed `within the plate i. Thefreeextensionsl of the wires i and; 8. are. each provided-with a spadetype Connector it forproviding a connectionjtherebetween and theelectrical terminala@ :tha-switch, arranged with av cut-out box to whichthe plate .is to be attached.Y i l u 4 The plate I has formed therein' arectang'ularly shaped recess H in which'sn'ugly fitsthe base section I2of the lens whereby when the lens is seated therein the lateral movementof the lens upon the plate will be limited. However, t0 attach the lensto the plate a pair of legs I3 are formed with and extend from theopposite sides of the base portion I2 and the free ends of these legs I3are insertable through elongated slots li and the outer extremity ofeach leg has formed therewith a knob extension l5 which rest upon therear face ofthe plate I so as to prevent the lens from being removedfrom the plate. These molded plastic leg portions have sufficientresiliency as to permit the legs and their lateral extensions I5 to beforced through the slots I4 and after the extensions l5 have passedthrough the slots they will be forced by the spring action of the legsto be seated in the position as best shown in Fig. 7 of the drawings,whereat the lens will be prevented from being withdrawn from the plateuntil such time as it is desired to remove the lens and thereby forcingthe legs toward one another until the extensions I5 are permitted toagain pass through the slots I4. This snap-on connection obviously doesnot require separable fastening elements such as screws and the likeattaching the lens upon the plate.

The plate is preferably molded from suitable thermosetting materials andbeing opaque it will not only form a shield for the electricalconnections housed within a cut-out box, but will also cover the samefrom View exteriorly of the plate. The shell 4 is also molded fromplastic materials either of the same material as that of the plate or ofthermoplastic material which has better light emitting qualities and yetnot having as high the plate is of the drawings, the dome shaped wall i8of the j lens is the same thickness as the remaining walls to render thesame opaque and has a section ,1.9, thereof reduced in thickness so thatthe rays of light from the lamp may pass therethrough in the directionof the arrows as shown, whereby v,the

light rays will be directed down upon the outer face of the plate andconcentrated on the switch knob as it projects through the opening 2 ofthe plate.

The lamp, resistor and lead .Wire thereof, are seated upon the outerface of the plate and that section 20 of the plate seals the same offfrom any electrical contacts with the cut-box when the plate is attachedto the latter. The wires 'l ands including those parts which extendthrough the openings 9 are covered-with suitable insulating materialsfor protecting the same from contact with any electrical parts withinthe cut-.out box.

The lens by being attachable to the outer face of the plate maythereupon be molded from almost any suitable translucent or transparentmaterials'without forming an opening therein for permitting the lightrays to pass therethrough. The lens may be of the same color as that ofthe plate or of a diierent color or a cover plate `of dilerentcombinations of colors may be had to suit ones color schemes.

I claim:

A combined switch plate and lamp housing assembly therefor moldedentirely from plastic insulating materials comprising a plate having aswitch knob opening extending therethrough, said plate having a shallowrecess formed in the outer wall thereof and arranged at one side of saidswitch knob opening therein, a bottom wall for said recess lyingsubstantially flush and parallel with the rear wall of said plate, saidbottom wall having a pair of rectangularly shaped openings extendingtherethrough arranged at the opposite sides of said recess, a lamphousing molded fromrtranslucent plastic material, a base formed withsaid lamp housing and snugly seatable within said recess so as toprevent rectilinear sliding or turning movement of said lamp housingwith respect to said plate, said lamp housing projecting from the outerwall of said plate whereby the light rays emitted from a lamp housedtherein may project downwardly upon a switch knob projecting through theopening therefor in said platea pair of parallel yieldable arms eachhaving one end formed with and projecting from said vlamp housing, saidarms extending through the rectangularly shaped openings formed withinsaid bottom wall of the recess and a laterally projecting knob formedwith the outer extremity of each arm for cooperative snap-on engagementwith the rear wall of said plate.

WILLIAM C. LINTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the iile ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,106,144 -Floraday Jan. 18, 1938VV2,179,199 Reed Nov, 7, 1939 2,248,117 Petry 1 July 8, 1941 2,260,894Field Oct. 28, 1941

